Voter identification fight continues

Staff Report

House Republicans expressed disappointment over the death of legislation yesterday that would have required identification to vote.

Senate Bill 1150 provided for a long list of identification options, including a free, state-issued voter ID card, a copy of a utility bill or a driver’s license. It also included language that would have allowed Oklahomans to vote without identification if they signed an affidavit attesting to their identity.

The bill was killed by Senate Democrats in a party line vote Tuesday.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of an Indiana voter ID law that requires photo identification at the polls, citing the need to reduce voter fraud.

“Apparently the Senate Democrats who worked to block this legislation don’t care about the opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court or eliminating voter fraud in our state,” said Rep. Sue Tibbs, R-Tulsa. “Oklahomans need to have confidence that their vote will count, and they will not trust a system where anyone can vote without having to prove they are eligible.”

This legislation would not have prevented anyone on the state voter rolls from voting, Tibbs said, but instead would have reinforced the notion that each and every vote counts in Oklahoma.

Tibbs vowed to continue the fight to require voter identification in Oklahoma.

“I will continue to push this common sense legislation until it becomes law,” said Tibbs.